Students for A Smarter Planethttp://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor
..leaders with conscienceSun, 02 Aug 2015 12:16:26 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.1Festival-goers literally give back….http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/08/festival-goers-literally-give-back.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/08/festival-goers-literally-give-back.html#commentsSun, 02 Aug 2015 12:16:26 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8994Sustainability at its best! At a recent music festival, Danish Agriculture & Food Council opted to put liquid gold to good use. A beercycling project dubbed “From piss to pilsner” invited attendees to leave deposits for local farmers to use as fertilizer for barley crops grown to make beer.

]]>Sustainability at its best! At a recent music festival, Danish Agriculture & Food Council opted to put liquid gold to good use. A beercycling project dubbed “From piss to pilsner” invited attendees to leave deposits for local farmers to use as fertilizer for barley crops grown to make beer.

“The beercycling project is certainly a fascinating proposal for a sustainable solution where urine isn’t just sent down the drain, but becomes a useful resource,” said Henrik Rasmussen, Managing Director of the Roskilde Festival. “It is a project which extends beyond the festival itself and it underlines that the Roskilde Festival is a fantastic laboratory for testing new sustainable solutions that could benefit society.”

Waste from collectors and specially-designed storage tanks will go on to fertilize the barley crops in nearby fields. That malting barley will then be used to make beer for the 2017 music festival.

]]>http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/08/festival-goers-literally-give-back.html/feed0App to help you R-E-L-A-Xhttp://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/08/app-help-r-e-l-x.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/08/app-help-r-e-l-x.html#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 13:54:53 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8951With so many demands pulling us in every direction, there’s often precious little time to decompress (or none at all!!) Studies from a variety of sources have shown that stress affects both your physical and mental well-being. While it would be really nice to have an afternoon nap like babies & toddlers get, the practicality [...]

]]>With so many demands pulling us in every direction, there’s often precious little time to decompress (or none at all!!) Studies from a variety of sources have shown that stress affects both your physical and mental well-being. While it would be really nice to have an afternoon nap like babies & toddlers get, the practicality of this ‘luxury’ in most parts of the world is not going to allow that to happen on a mass scale.

Read this story to see how technology called Muse can help to bring you a calming state of being:

The headband uses EEG sensors that detect the brain’s electrical activity. Users are then asked to participate in a three-minute guided exercise that aims to reduce stress, calm anxiety and increase focus and concentration.

Visit the Muse site to learn more:

The funny thing is, technology is often blamed for the freneticism of our current existence. To put it to use as a de-stressing tool… I really enjoy the irony!!!

]]>http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/08/app-help-r-e-l-x.html/feed0Ridin’ on a railwayhttp://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/ridin-railway.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/ridin-railway.html#commentsFri, 31 Jul 2015 13:43:46 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8937When I was younger, my little brother had a set of trains – the really cool ones where you took a big wooden board and put down fake grass and trees and little buildings. The whole thing ran on electricity provided by a transformer that you plugged into the wall outlet. The tracks were metal [...]

]]>When I was younger, my little brother had a set of trains – the really cool ones where you took a big wooden board and put down fake grass and trees and little buildings. The whole thing ran on electricity provided by a transformer that you plugged into the wall outlet. The tracks were metal and the cars seemed to always be toppling over. We spent hours with that setup – it was so much fun!

A love for railroads seems to be part of every child’s DNA; something that many really never outgrow! There have been steam engines, trains powered by coal, diesel, electricity; a ride on a train used to be a luxury and there are pictures that make folks really nostalgic. We’ve upped our population & we keep improving the technology to meet the changing needs of our planet…

Swedish operator Inlandsbanan AB has said it hopes to convert its entire fleet of passenger and freight vehicles to bio-diesel by 2020. Inlandsbanan AB has received funding from the EU to assess the feasibility of converting its diesel trains to RME, a biodiesel produced from rapeseed.

Rapeseed is grown for the production of animal feed, vegetable oil for human consumption, and biodiesel; leading producers include the European Union, Canada, China, India and Australia.

“Can’t ya hear this whistle blowin’?” Do you have a plan for alternative fuel? Take it to the rails!!

]]>Have you noticed? Everywhere you turn, it seems that emoji’s are flooding our written communications. Originally meaning pictograph, the word emoji literally means “picture” (e) + “character” (moji). As funny as they sometimes are, Intelligent Environments is capitalizing on the security aspect of these funny ideograms.

Passcodes made up of emoji are reportedly more secure, as offering a choice of 44 emoji means there is a total of 3.5 million possible permutations. That’s a lot more impressive than the 7,000-odd non-repeating PIN permutations. Using pictures should also prevent criminals from identifying significant numbers associated with an individual’s life, such as birthdays or anniversaries.

]]>http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/gotta-3.html/feed0How long does it take to spread cow patties? (No, this isn’t a political brain-teaser!)http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/long-take-spread-cow-patties-isnt-political-brain-teaser.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/long-take-spread-cow-patties-isnt-political-brain-teaser.html#commentsWed, 29 Jul 2015 13:21:20 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8927Lots of people spread lots of (what we politely refer to as) manure when they are speaking or writing. There are tabloids and blogs and conversations overheard that reek of the stuff. BUT – there’s a real world application for manure in the farming sector of the economy that is beneficial (and maybe less toxic [...]

]]>Lots of people spread lots of (what we politely refer to as) manure when they are speaking or writing. There are tabloids and blogs and conversations overheard that reek of the stuff. BUT – there’s a real world application for manure in the farming sector of the economy that is beneficial (and maybe less toxic than gossip or rumor?), and there’s new tech to help with precise application… Read about it here:

Digi-Star LLC is headquartered in Fort Atkinson, Wis., with additional facilities and businesses in the Netherlands and United Kingdom. Digi-Star LLC is a global supplier of electronic sensing equipment, precision sensors, displays and software used by farmers and other equipment operators to precisely measure and analyze valuable data from critical farming processes.

]]>http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/long-take-spread-cow-patties-isnt-political-brain-teaser.html/feed0Mirror, mirror on the wall….http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/mirror-mirror-wall.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/mirror-mirror-wall.html#commentsTue, 28 Jul 2015 13:32:07 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8877WOW – I’ve just had quite an education on the advancement of the mirror. I always thought it was just a “dumb” piece of glass that is reflective. Boy, was I wrong!
Now there are things called augmented mirrors – and there are MANY.
Here’s what I’ve learned with a little internet searching…
MirrorMirror developed by students at [...]

]]>WOW – I’ve just had quite an education on the advancement of the mirror. I always thought it was just a “dumb” piece of glass that is reflective. Boy, was I wrong!

Now there are things called augmented mirrors – and there are MANY.

Here’s what I’ve learned with a little internet searching…

MirrorMirror developed by students at Purdue University, gives the user not only their reflection, but other important information such as the latest news, emails and even bus schedules.

The prototype was produced during BoilerMake2014, a 36-hour hackathon at Purdue University. It uses facial recognition technology that causes relevant information to be displayed when the user looks into the mirror.

“The mirror will display general information most of the time, but when it recognizes a user it will display their information such as emails or scores of the latest game,” says team member Nick Molo. “With our open development platform, anyone who has the ability to build an app can do so and share it with other users.”

Even going back to development of the 2011 Cybertecture Mirror there was the intent to present users with a wealth of information while looking at their reflection. Described as a reflective window into a digital life, this internet-connected, intelligent mirror can augment your reflected image with weather and news, check for messages or social network feeds, let you watch a TV program, give you information on your state of health and can even act as a personal exercise coach.

Please note that these newfangled mirrors do not come cheaply! I guess you’d have to weigh the cost against the advantages received to see if it will be on your wish list of additions to your home decor

]]>http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/mirror-mirror-wall.html/feed0Seahorses may help humans improve robotshttp://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/seahorses-may-help-humans-improve-robots.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/seahorses-may-help-humans-improve-robots.html#commentsMon, 27 Jul 2015 13:11:23 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8885Seahorses are those almost comical looking creatures that inhabit shallow tropical waters in temperate climates. They are really cool to look at and are a particular favorite of children. Watching one “swim” can inspire wonder…how DO they do that anyway? (Since I never made it much past the dog-paddle stage myself, observing a seahorse in [...]

]]>Seahorses are those almost comical looking creatures that inhabit shallow tropical waters in temperate climates. They are really cool to look at and are a particular favorite of children. Watching one “swim” can inspire wonder…how DO they do that anyway? (Since I never made it much past the dog-paddle stage myself, observing a seahorse in motion is quite fascinating for me!)

But there’s more to the structure of a seahorse than meets the eye – and their specific skeleton and musculature may lead the way to improved technology and less stiffness when we move forward on invention of the next generation of robots! Traditionally, our attempts to make robots have had some problems when it comes to mobility. Further, the exoskeletal properties of the seahorse could lead to improvements in body armor or protective materials. A study was led by Michael Porter, an assistant mechanical engineering professor at Clemson University in South Carolina that has been published online in the Journal Science. His findings are quite amazing!

]]>http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/seahorses-may-help-humans-improve-robots.html/feed0Has A.I. made the next breakthrough in Medical Science?http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/made-next-breakthrough-medical-science.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/made-next-breakthrough-medical-science.html#commentsSat, 25 Jul 2015 13:16:18 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8835Ponder the flatworm. Yes, I’m serious.
If you’re not familiar with this lifeform, their resilience may astound you. Particularly one such flatworm known as the Planarian. This fairly unheralded and simple organism has the capacity to regenerate its body parts. Yup – cut it in half and it will split itself and regrow into two separate [...]

If you’re not familiar with this lifeform, their resilience may astound you. Particularly one such flatworm known as the Planarian. This fairly unheralded and simple organism has the capacity to regenerate its body parts. Yup – cut it in half and it will split itself and regrow into two separate worms. But, the why and how behind this regeneration being possible has been elusive.

Although flatworms are a parasite that can cause great damage to the internal workings of the human body, this power of ‘self-replicating’ may hold the key to medical advances that we’ve been seeking. And it’s all due to Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and an ongoing study at Tufts University.

It would allow doctors…who help patients who have suffered scarring and traumatic injuries, to regrow body parts from the patient’s own cells.

Read the article posted in wired.co.uk here to learn about the computer breakthrough:

NOTE: Press releases and other material on the work of the researchers named in the articles above can be found by typing “flatworm” into the search box on the Tufts University website – check out their A.I. work with the worms and other cool stuff they are doing with worms and electricity!!

What other ‘mysteries of life’ might A.I. solve for us? Take up the challenge and make history for yourself!

]]>http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/made-next-breakthrough-medical-science.html/feed0Help for quick diagnosis and food inspection for toxinshttp://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/help-quick-diagnosis-food-inspection-toxins.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/help-quick-diagnosis-food-inspection-toxins.html#commentsFri, 24 Jul 2015 13:05:13 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8873McMaster University has developed a process whereby ordinary inkjet printers can be given a special cartridge containing DNA-based bio-ink that produces paper sensors patterned after the codenames of pathogens.
Sensors that identify infectious disease and food contaminants may soon be printed on paper using ordinary office inkjet printers. Researchers at McMaster University have developed a prototype [...]

]]>McMaster University has developed a process whereby ordinary inkjet printers can be given a special cartridge containing DNA-based bio-ink that produces paper sensors patterned after the codenames of pathogens.

Sensors that identify infectious disease and food contaminants may soon be printed on paper using ordinary office inkjet printers. Researchers at McMaster University have developed a prototype that could lead to a commercial product in the next few years which helps doctors and scientists in the field quickly detect certain types of cancer or bacterial and respiratory infections or monitor toxin levels in water.

“In the published paper, we detect ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is a marker of bacterial contamination, and PDGF (platelet derived growth factor), which is a marker for cancer,” Brennan explained. “We can print the letter ‘A’ for ATP and ‘P’ for PDGF, so that the letter encodes the compound detected. This allows us to do something we call multiplexing, where we can use any combination of letters or symbols to allow detection of many different targets on a single test strip.”

Just think of the applications for this product, they are far reaching and would save many lives in developing world countries.

Do you have the expertise to save lives by developing advanced detection tools for the medical field?

]]>http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/help-quick-diagnosis-food-inspection-toxins.html/feed0Who says solar panels have to be unattractive?http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/says-solar-panels-unattractive.html
http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/blog/2015/07/says-solar-panels-unattractive.html#commentsThu, 23 Jul 2015 13:52:08 +0000http://asmarterplanet.com/studentsfor/?p=8822When solar panels first began cropping up on rooftops and in large fields, a number of people were ‘offended’ by what they considered an ‘unsightly blight’ on the landscape. This rather fun story tells the tale of how a film director’s sense of humor can turn things around…

]]>When solar panels first began cropping up on rooftops and in large fields, a number of people were ‘offended’ by what they considered an ‘unsightly blight’ on the landscape. This rather fun story tells the tale of how a film director’s sense of humor can turn things around…